Stem-winding watch.



H. W. MATALENE. STEM WINDING WATCH. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25, 1908.

918,757. 1 Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

22 I FE. eh-

WITNESSES: I

A TTORNE Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE.

HENRY W. MATALENE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

STEM-WIN DIN G WATCH.

Application filed June 25, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY 1W. MATALENE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stem-Winding atches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention, while applicable to stemwinding watches in general, is particularly adapted for watches which are designed to be suspended on a neck chain or chatelaine pin. secured to the person of the wearer, being intended to provide a stennwinding watch of this character which, when suspended with the back of its case outermost, will have the external appearance of a locket. To this end my invention is characterized by the omission of the usual pendant, crown and bow, and by the employment, for suspending the watch, of means attached to the winding stem, and so located that in a watch containin my improvements the only parts which project and are visible above the watch case, when the watch is suspended, are the outer or exposed portions of the suspendin means which are attached to the winding stem and which include, by prefcronce, a terminal portion located within the rim of the watch case and a ring passing through an eye on the outer end of said terminal portion and adapted for suspension on a chain or chatelaine pin, so that the back side of the watch presents the same external appearance as a locket. In connection with this arrangement I provide means for preventing outward movement of the winding stem when the watch is suspended, and in case my improvements are embodied in a stem-winding watch in which, in order to set the watch, the stem has to be pulled out ward, the construction is such thatwhile the outward movement of the winding stem is resisted under normal conditions, such out ward movement may readily be provided for when desired, provision being made, in all cases, for the rotational movement of the stem by which the watch is wound.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly broken away, of a portion of one form of locket watch made in accordance with my invention Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on line a;a: of Fig. 1, looking toward the left in said figure, Fig. 3 is an elevation, in outline, of the back side of the watch represented in Figs. 1 and 2,-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 20, 1909.

Serial No. 440,217.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation, similar to Fig.

2, illustrating my improvements as embodied in a locket watch having the American system of setting Fig. 5 is a detail section taken on line y-y of Fig. 4 and Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation similar to Fig. 2, illustrating a modification.

Referring to the drawings, Figs. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate a locket watch case comprising a bezel 2, a crystal 3 and a hinged back it, which parts are of the usual construction, except as hereinafter described, and are adapt ed to receive either a lever-setting or a pinsetting watch movement, or a movement in which the setting as well as the winding is done by manipulation of the winding stein only. 5 represents the upper end of the winding stem of such a movement, and inasmuch as watch movements and watch cases are commonly made separately and combined as desired, I provide as an element of the case a terminal portion 6 which is rigidly secured to the upper end of the winding stem 5 when the movement is fitted to the case. This terminal portion 6 is located within the rim of the watch case and terminates at its upper or outer end in an eye 7, and to this eye is preferably attached a link 8 by means of which the watch may be more readily suspended on a neck chain or a chatelaine pin, or attached to a fob or the like. Said terminal ortion 6 is rotatably mounted in the water case, so as to serve as a means for rotating the stem 5 in winding the watch, and in order to resist the outward pull on the winding stem when the watch is suspended said terminal portion is provided with an annular groove 9 which receives a rib 10 formed on an adjacent portion of the watch case and preferably on the inner face of the back 4, as shown in Fig. 2, said rib 10 being provided by forming in the back 4 semi-circular depressions 11 and 12 which are located upon opposite sides of the rib 10 and receive respectively the cylindrical upper and lower portions 13 and 14 of the terminal portion 6. The bezel 2 is also provided with a semi-circular depression or recess 15 which is conimon to both of the portions 13 and 14 and cooperates with the depressions 11 and 12 to provide a bearing which incloses the terminal portion 6 and within which the latter is adapted to rotate.

In case the movement employed with this form of case is of that type in which the setting is done wholly by means of the winding stem, it is necessary that the stem be moved longitudinally before the setting operation is performed, and this is provided for by the construction illustrated in Fig. 2, since by 0 ening the back 4 the rib 10 is removed from t e groove 9 in the terminal portion 6 and thus leaves the latter free to be given the necessary longitudinal movement. After the setting operation has been performed the terminal portion and winding stem are ushed back into the position shown in Fig. 2 and the back of the watch is snapped into place, thereby locking the terminal portion and stem against outward movement but leaving them free to be turned in winding the Watch. In case a lever-setting or pin-setting movement is employed it is not necessary to 0 en the back of the watch in order to set t e same, but with either form of movement the rib 10, by engaging the lower portion 14 of the terminal portion 6, resists under nor mal conditions any outward pull which may be applied to the terminal portion and thus removes any strain, due to such a pull, from those parts of the watch movement with which the stem is operatively connected.

The outline of the watch, when suspended with its back outermost, is shown in Fig. 3, from which it may be seen that the appearance of the watch is indistinguishable from that of a locket, in that the characteristic features found at the upper portion of an ordinary watch, namely, the pendant, crown and bow, are entirely omitted, the only visible suspending means being the eye 7 which is provided at the upper end of the terminal portion of the winding stem, and the link 8 which is secured thereto.

Instead of forming an annular groove in the terminal portion of the winding stem an annular rib 16 may be slipped over and secured to the terminal portion 6 as shown in Fig. 6, in which case the bezel and back of the watch will be provided with corresponding annular grooves 17 and 18 for the reception of said rib. This arrangement is applicable to such movements as employ a lever or a pin for throwing the stem into setting relation, and may be adapted to a stem-setting movement by extending the annular groove 17 upwardly to a sufficient extent to permit the necessary longitudinal movement of the terminal portion 6 and its rib 16 after the back of the watch has been opened, as indicated in dotted lines at 17 a in Fig. 6. In either case the engagement of the rib 16 with the groove in the back of the watch will resist any outward pull on the terminal portion when the watch case is closed, without interfering with the rotational movement of the terminal portion whereby the watch is Wound.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have illustrated my invention as applied to a watch case adapted to contain a movement embodying the American system of setting, in which figure 2 is the bezel, 3 the crystal, 4 the back, 5 the winding stem, 6 the terminal portion thereof, 7 the eye formed on the outer end of the same, 9 the annular groove in the terminal portion 6, 10 the rib on the back of the watch case which fits into said annular groove, and 11 the recess formed in the bezel which receives the terminal portion 6 and permits its longitudinal movement when the back of the watch is open. The winding stem is fastened to the terminal portion 6 and projects through a thimble 19 which is screw-threaded to engage the sleeve 20, said sleeve being mounted to rotate in a bearing formed in the center 21. 22 is the cap which engages the center 21. The parts 19, 20 and 21 are of the usual construction in this type of movement, except that instead of projecting outward beyond the rim of the watch case they are located within the periphery of the same, as shown, so that the only parts of the winding and setting movement which project above the rim of the watch case are i i the eye 7 formed on the upper end of the terminal portion 6 and the link attached thereto, as in thecase of the other constructions illustratedl In this form of movement both winding and setting are accomplished by the stem 5, the winding being done when the parts are in the reiative positions illustrated in Fig. 4, and the setting being done by first opening the back 1, thus removing the rib 10 from the annular groove in the terminal portion 6, then pulling said terminal portion 6 and the winding stem outward into setting position, and then rotating said stem and thereby operating the setting movement through the sleeve 20 in the usual manner, the terminal portion and the winding stem being then pushed inward to the winding position and locked therein by closing the back of the watch case as hereinbe fore described. 1

It will be seen that in each of the different arrangements above described the usual pendant, crown and bow are entirely omitted and the winding stem and its terminal portion are rigidly fastened together, forming, in effect, a single piece, means being provided in each instance for resisting any outward pull or strain upon the winding stem, under normal conditions, without interfering with the rotation of the winding stem for winding the watch. These are characteristic features of my invention, and may be embodied in vari ous other forms and constructions than those which are specifically described herein, as will be evident.

I claim as my invention:

1. A stem-winding watch comprising a rotatable winding stem having at its upper end a terminal portion located entirely within the periphery of the watch case, and means carried by the upper end of the terminal portion, adjacent to the periphery of the case, for suspending the watch.

2. A stem-Winding watch comprising ried by the upper end of said terminal portion, adjacent to the periphery of the case, for suspending the watch, and means carried by the watch case for resisting the outward pull on the winding stem when the watch is suspended.

3. A stem-winding watch having no pendant, bow or crown and comprising a rotatable winding stem, means for suspending the watch therefrom, and means operative with the opening and closing of the watch case for permitting and preventing longitudinal movement of said stem.

4. A stem-winding watch comprising a winding stem, a terminal portion secured to said stem and mounted to rotate in the case of the watch, said terminal portion being located entirely within the periphery of the watch case and provided with means for suspending the watch therefrom, and means for resisting the outward pull on said stem when the watch is suspended.

5. A stem-winding watch comprising a winding stem, a terminal portion. secured to said stem and mounted to rotate in the case of the watch, said terminal portion being provided with means for suspendin the watch therefrom, and means operative with the opening and closing of the watch case for permitting and preventing longitudinal movement of said stem.

6. In a stem-winding watch, the combinaj tion with the case, of a Winding stem terminal rotatably mounted in the rim of said case,

Within the periphery thereof, one of said parts having a projection adapted to enter a recess formed in the other of said parts, whereby longitudinal movement of said terminal is prevented, means carried by the outer end of said terminal, adjacent to the gperiphery of the case, for suspending the watch, and a winding stem secured to said terminal.

7. In a stem-winding watch, the combina tion with the case, of a winding stem terminal having an eye at its outer end and rotatably mounted in the rim of said case, one of said parts havin a projection adapted to enter a recess formed in the other of said parts, whereby longitudinal movement of said terminal is prevented, and a winding stem secured to said terminal.

8. In a stem-winding watch, the combination with the case, of a winding stem terminal having an eye at its outer end and rotatably mounted in the rim of said case, a link connected to said eye, a winding stem secured to said terminal, and means for resisting the outward pull on said terminal and stem when the watch is suspended.

9. A stem-winding watch comprising a rotatable winding stem having at its upper end a terminal portion located in the rim portion of the case, within the periphery thereof, means carried by the outer end of said terminal portion for suspending the watch, and means for locking said stem against longitudinal movement and for releasing the same when desired.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this twentieth day of June, 1908.

HENRY KY. MATALEN E. Witnesses E. D. CHADWICK, O. R. MITCHELL. 

